Rectangular sewage distributor



April 3, 1934. J. A. HARTLEY El AL RECTANGULAR SEWAGE DISTRIBUTOR Filed Aug. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ewe/afar c271. A a/ZZey C. J? flax/"Z5 15y April 3, 1934. J. A. HARTLEY El AL 1,953,223

RECTANGULAR SEWAGE DISTRIBUTOR Filed Aug. 24, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 liq 24 /17 Q: J W W Patented Apr. 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1,953,223 RECTANGULAR SEWAGE DISTRIBUTOR Joseph Augustine Hartley, Stone, and Cyril John Hartley, Stoke-on-Trent, England Application August 24, 1931, Serial No. 559,096 In Great Britain November 10, 1930 8 Claims.

This invention relates to sewage distributors of the type comprising one or more distributing tubes to which the sewage is iedirom a trough ghrough siphons, and are reciprocated over a filter With filters of this type; it is sometimes necessary to increase the rate of discharge above the normal. As the rate of discharge varies as the square root of head of sewage available, it follows that to increase the rate, for example, three times the normal rate, a head nine times that of the normal head would be required. Generally it is undesirable or impossible to head up the sewage in this way.

The object of the invention is to enable the rate of discharge to be adequately increased automatically without undue increase in the head of sewage available in the feed trough.

A particular advantage of the invention is that should the level of the liquid in the feed trough rise unexpectedly, due to rain entering the trough or to an abnormal amount of sewage to be treated, then the surplus liquid can be dealt with automatically immediately the level reaches the end of the higher air pipe.

Therefore, the invention comprises the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the pre cise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims. In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, are, respectively, a sectional elevation and a plan of part of a filter bed provided with one form of distributing apparatus according to the invention.

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a sectional elevation and plan of part of a filter bed and part of another form of distributing apparatusaccording to the invention.

In the form illustrated by Figures 1 and the filter bed 1 is provided with the usual sustaining walls 2 and 3 and sewage feed trough 4.

Two distributing tubes 5 and 6, which may be of any desirable form well known in the art are provided, respectively, with siphons '7 and 3 dipping as usual into the sewage feed trough 4, and preferably provided with hand operated air pumps 15, 16, for starting the siphons, and with valves 9 and 10 by which the flow can be shut off either by operating the valves by hand or automatically in any well known manner, the automatic means not being shown in this particular example.

The tubes 5 and 6 are, respectively, provided with siphonic traps 11 and 12 which are interposed between them and their siphons 7 and 8.

Each siphonic trap is shown in this example in the form of an inverted U tube. The siphonic trap 12 extends to a higher level than the trap 11. Air pipes 13 and 14 lead, respectively, from the tops of the siphonic traps 11 and 12 into the feed trough "1, each air pipe extending into the trough to such a depth that its open end is level with the overflow level at the upper part of its respective trap. Consequently, the pipe 13 extends downwardly to a lower level in the trough than the pipe 14.- for a purpose which will hereinafter be apparent. The distributing tubes 5 and 6 are carried by a girder or frame 17 having bogie carriages 18 and 19 at its ends, the wheels 20 and 21 of which run on tracks 22 and 23 on the walls 2 and 3, respectively.

Assuming that the level of the sewage in the trough 4 is so high that both of the air pipes 13 and 14 are submerged, both of the siphons 7 and 8 have been started by removal of air by the air pumps 15 and 16 and both of the valves 9 and 10 have been opened, the sewage will then flow to both of the distributing tubes 5 and 6 and be distributed on the filter bed 1 as the tubes are reciprccated in the usual manner, for example, by cables 24, 24. When the level of sewage in the trough 4 falls below the air pipe 14, air enters the top of the siphonio trap 12, so that this trap ceases to siphon and sewage ceases to flow therethrough to the distributing tube 6. The other tube 5 continues to operate so long as there is sufiicient sewage in the trough to cover the air pipe 13. Should the level fall so low as to uncover the air pipe 13, that is to say, below the normal level, air enters the siphonic trap 11 and this also ceases to siphon and stops the flow to the tube 5.

The siphons '7 and 8 dip into the trough 4 below the level of the tops of their respective traps 11 and 12, so that so long as there is sufiicient sewage to cover their mouths, they remain full of sewage even when their respective air pipes 13 and 14 are uncovered to stop the flow of sewage; consequently, as each air pipe is again covered by the rise of the sewage level, the respective siphon automatically starts to operate.

Assuming that the tube 5 can deal with the normal flow of sewage, it isclear that under abnormal conditions the two tubes 5 and 6 will provide an adequate discharge, as not only is the normal area of discharge duplicated if the tubes be of the same size, but the increase of head in the trough increases the rate of the flow in both of them to some extent. It will be understood that the cross-sectional areas of the tubes 5 and 6 and of their siphons may be the same or different according to the increased. flow required to suit any particular situation.

In the form illustrated by Figures 3 and 4, a single siphon 25 and a single valve 26 are common to the two distributing tubes 5 and 6, the valve 26 controlling the flow of sewage to a junction box 34 to which the two siphonic traps 11 and 12 are connected.

Similar reference numerals in Figures 1 to 4 represent corresponding parts. Consequently, except for the fact that a single siphon is used, the operation of the form of apparatus shown in Figures 3 and 4 is similar to that above described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The valve 26 is also shown provided with an operating lever 2'7 which oscillates about a fulcrum pin 28 and has a toothed segment 29 engaging with a toothed segment 30 on the valve spindle 31. The lever 27 has a roller 32 on its end which, as the distributing tubes reach each end of their travel when reciprocated over the filter bed 1 by the cables 24, 24, strikes against fixed cams so that the valve is opened and closed accordingly, thus ensuring that sewage is distributed on each alternate journey of the distributing tubes over the bed. These automatic valves for intermittent distribution give double the range of total distribution than continuous valve distribution because the automatic valve can be put out of action and the distributors worked continuously with the valve in the open position. The dual valves in Figures 1 and 2 may be also operated automatically for intermittent distribution where a wider range of distribution is required than is possible with dual tubes cutting in and out under continuous distribution conditions indicated in Figures 1 and 2. Such automatic controlling valves for sewage distributing tubes are not novel per se and it will be understood that hand con trolled valves may be used, which remain open so long as the distributor is in operation, so that sewage is distributed continually during the reciprocations of the distributor as in the form de scribed with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

Further, a hand operated valve or stop valve 33 is provided between the siphonic trap 12 and its corresponding distributing tube 6, so that the tube 6 may be cut out of operation if desired.

Small auxiliary distributing tubes 35 and 36 are shown to distribute sewage over the part of the filter bed not covered by the tubes 5 and 6.

As previously stated, the object of the invention is to permit an increased rate of discharge, automatically and without undue increase in the head of liquid in the feed trough, and this object is attained in a simple and eflicient manner by the present invention, in which the reciprocatory distributing tubes are brought into and cut out of operation in sequence and automatically, as the level of the liquid in the trough rises and falls, so that the number of tubes in operation is in proportion to the amount of liquid to be discharged.

We claim:

1. A sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, comprising a plurality of distributing tubes, each having a siphon dipping into said trough and each having a siphonic trap interposed between it and its siphon, each siphonic trap having an air pipe connected to its top and dipping into said trough, said air pipes extending into the trough to different levels, Whereby the rate of discharge of the sewage may be increased automatically without undue increase in head of sewage in the feed trough.

2. A sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, comprising a plurality of distributing tubes each having a siphon dipping into said trough and each having a siphonic trap interposed between it and its siphon, each siphonic trap having an air pipe connected to its top and dipping into said trough, said siphonic traps being of different height, whereby the rate of discharge of the sewage may be increased automatically without undue increase in head of sewage in the feed trough.

3. A sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, a plurality of distributing tubes, a siphon dipping into said trough and common to all of said distributing tubes, a siphonic trap interposed between each of said distributing tubes and said siphon, each of said siphonic traps having an air pipe connected to its top and dipping into said trough, whereby the rate of discharge of the sewage may be increased automatically without undue increase in head of sewage in the feed trough.

4. A sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, a plurality of distributing tubes, a siphon dipping into said trough and common to all of said distributing tubes, a siphonic trap interposed between each of said distributing tubes and said siphon, each of said siphonic traps having an air pipe connected to its top and dipping into said trough and said siphonic traps being of different heights, whereby the rate of discharge of the sewage may be increased automatically without undue increase in head of sewage in the feed trough.

5. A sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, a plurality of distributing tubes, siphonic means for feeding said tubes with sewage from said trough, traps interposed between said tubes and said siphonic feeding means, and means operable by the rise and fall of sewage in said trough for controlling said traps successively whereby the rate of discharge of the sewage may be increased automatically without undue increase in head of sewage in the feed trough.

6. A reciprocatory sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, comprising a plurality of reciprocatory distributing tubes, siphonic means connected to said tubes for feeding said tubes from said trough and adapted to reciprocate along said trough, a siphonic trap interposed between each distributing tube and said siphonic feeding means, and an air pipe connected to the top of each siphonic trap and dipping into said trough, said traps being of different heights and said air pipes extending into said trough at different levels substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

'7. A reciprocatory sewage distributor for a filter bed having a sewage feed trough, comprising a plurality of reciprocatory distributing tubes, each having a siphon connected to it and dipping into said trough and each having a siphonic trap interposed between it and its siphon, each siphonic trap having an air pipe connected to its top and dipping into said trough, said traps being of different heights and said air pipes extending into the trough to different levels, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth,

to its top, said siphons being of different heights, and said air pipes dipping into said trough to difierent levels, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

JOSEPH AUGUSTINE HARTLEY. CYRIL JOHN HARTLEY. 

